Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Green Pea Salad with Radishes and Feta Cheese

I'm reading reports from other parts of the world, especially from my friends in Russia, about being buried under piles of snow in March and thinking about how lucky I am to live in Texas. Hot summers do not bother me one bit. We could do with less humidity, but I'll take that over cold winters any day. This week is the warmest yet, with temperatures hovering around 80F, even reaching 84F yesterday - a preview of what's to come later in the spring. And. I. Love. It.

Some people are already braving the waters of the Gulf in their bikinis, but I will limit myself to burying my toes in the sand for the time being.

On hot March days the pool is tantalizingly inviting but the water is still too cold to swim. What we CAN do though is enjoy spending time on the back patio - reading, eating, listening to music. Grilling, of course. And the watermelons are finally here, nice and sweet.

One perfect accompaniment to grilled meat or fish and a perfect spring dish is this green pea salad with radishes and feta cheese. It features Russia's favorite herb - dill. The combination of the dill, radishes and the tartness of feta makes me think of okroshka, definitely the favorite spring soup and always the sign of warmer weather. Radishes are usually among the first local produce to appear in Russia after the long winter.

Of course, being a "naturalized Texan," I added a little local flavor by using lime juice in the simple vinaigrette.

Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole's Chatter is collecting links to dishes using peas and/or green beans. I do hope you link this in. This is the link . Please do check out some of the other links – there are some good ones already. Cheers

Oh, the Texas heat. Indeed, it is coming. I don't do well in heat so I am thriving and trying to squeeze everything outdoors-y into this beautiful spring. I saw all the watermelons at the grocer as well...amazing to see watermelons so soon. I haven't been lucky enough to spot any of those meyer lemons yet but I am so intrigued by all of the CA blogs that use them all the time.

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About Me

Your search for authentic Russian recipes is over.

My name is Alina. Originally from Russia, I now live in Texas. Red Star to Lone Star, get it? :) I write both about the food from my home country and the new culinary discoveries I made after moving to America.